Faster indicators of UK economic activity

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Faster indicators of UK economic activity

Research Seminar

Tuesday 18 June 2019, 16:30 — 17:30

Presented by  Jeremy Rowe  (Data Science Campus, Office for National Statistics)

Venue: Office for National Statistics, 1 Drummond Gate, London, SW1V 2QQ

The appetite for faster information on UK economic activity has never been higher. Policymakers and analysts demand faster insight into the state of the UK economy in order to make informed, timely decisions on matters, such as the setting of interest rates, which affect the whole UK. With the growing availability of big data and large administrative datasets, and the tools, technology and skills to understand and process these, National Statistics Institutes are being challenged to produce outputs that meet the growing demand for more timely data. This presentation summarises the initial work ONS have carried out, exploring 3 datasets: HMRC UK Value Added Tax returns, ship tracking data from automated identification systems for UK waters, and road traffic sensor data for England.

Jeremy Rowe is a senior data scientist at the Data Science Campus at ONS. He is interested in building and analysing large and innovative datasets to generate new insights which support policy makers in their decisions. Prior to joining the ONS he worked as an economist at the Bank of England providing analysis for the Monetary Policy Committee where he worked on a range of topics including GDP forecasting, trade, household debt and inflation expectations.

Jeremy Rowe

Video of presentation